Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
The Op art movement emerged in the 1960s, mirroring the counterculture of the time in its embrace of visual trickery, graphic shapes and bright colors.
Spreading across Europe and the Americas, the style — whose name is short for “optical art” — influenced advertising, fashion and interior design before fading in the early ’70s.
Op art remained significant, however, for artists and scientists interested in the nature of perception. And today, it’s seeing a resurgence of interest from collectors and interior designers.
Op artists played with the principles of perception, manipulating line, shape, patterns and color to create the illusion of depth and movement. They drew on and evolved methods developed by past movements, from Impressionism to Abstract Expressionism, to produce intense visual experiences.
All the Op artists shared a focus on the gap between what is and what we perceive. Each, however, had a distinct approach to the issue and a unique visual style.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Op art that includes works by Josef Albers, Bridget Riley, Jesús Rafael Soto and more.
2010s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
C Print, Lithograph, Paper
Late 20th Century Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Gouache, Illustration Board, Cardboard
Mid-20th Century Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Mixed Media, Watercolor, Gouache
Late 20th Century Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Watercolor
1970s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Charcoal
21st Century and Contemporary Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
1970s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Color Pencil
1980s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Screen
1990s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Archival Paper
1940s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Gouache, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Acrylic, Gouache, Panel, Wood Panel, Illustration Board, Graphite
Mid-20th Century Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Oil Pastel, Gouache
Mid-20th Century Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Oil Pastel, Gouache
2010s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Charcoal
2010s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Charcoal, Pastel, Acrylic, House Paint
1940s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Gouache, Board
1940s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Gouache
2010s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Charcoal
21st Century and Contemporary Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Etching
Early 2000s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Archival Paper, Charcoal
1990s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Archival Paper, Permanent Marker
1990s Op Art Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Graphite








